If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Map Info

Can BLM land, State land, etc be leased by ranchers or others and if so do the maps that you buy show BLM and State land (paper and GPS) show the leased lands? Also what is Bankhead Jones land is it public land you can hunt?

I can answer the first question, yes ranchers can lease blm. Te lease the grazing rights though. It is still public land, you can hunt it and do whatever else you want on it besides release your livestock on it. And a map would not show leased land because it does not effect the public. Be forewarned alot of ranchers will try to claim public land that isn't theirs and try to kick you off of it. Buying the most up to date maps at the blm office is the best thing you can do. They are a must for anywhere you hunt or plan on hunting. It's as important as your weapon and boots.

Can BLM land, State land, etc be leased by ranchers or others and if so do the maps that you buy show BLM and State land (paper and GPS) show the leased lands? Also what is Bankhead Jones land is it public land you can hunt?

Another awesome tool is the overlay software if you carry a GPS on your hunt. It shows you on your GPS what is pubic, private and some awesome planning tools to mark waypoints from looking on your computer. http://www.huntinggpsmaps.com/

One thing I was looking at that made me ask is in Wy antelope unit 69 the Dumbar Ranch is a HMA. It takes up a good portion of the area the way they have the boundry marked in the hunting guide and the ranch rules do not allow antelope hunting. Alot of the marked area also shows it is BLM land, so is the BLM land in the Dumbar Ranch open for public antelope hunting and can the ranch control the season dates on the BLM land within the boundry? Theres alot of others like this also.

I can answer the first question, yes ranchers can lease blm. Te lease the grazing rights though. It is still public land, you can hunt it and do whatever else you want on it besides release your livestock on it. And a map would not show leased land because it does not effect the public. Be forewarned alot of ranchers will try to claim public land that isn't theirs and try to kick you off of it. Buying the most up to date maps at the blm office is the best thing you can do. They are a must for anywhere you hunt or plan on hunting. It's as important as your weapon and boots.

Dr is 100% correct. At least here in Nv. I have a friend that does this exact thing for his cattle and sheep, leases a ton of land but can not block access.

Public land, eg. state, BLM & NF, if surrounded by private land, access can be denied. In Wyoming lots of state land is surrounded by private and access is denied. Fact of life...lots of what is called school sections are completely surrounded by private land. It is a leftover situation of historical land use there, especially when the railroads were built.

Colorado Cowboy
Cowboy Action Shooter; Endowment Life Member-NRA
The Original Rocket Scientist-Retired
"My Father always considered a walk in the mountains as the equivalent of church going."
Aldous Huxley

I'm not seeing where the ranch rules do not allow antelope hunting on the Dumbar ranch, looks like it's open without limitations to me. If you are talking about the Rattlesnake Mountain HMA. For what it's worth, I spent a fair amount of time in unit 69 in October, saw a lot of animals but I didn't see a buck over about 13" and not many of those, most were in the 10-11" range. I was not hunting there, just looking around for future possibilities.

Public lands within HMA's, walk-in-areas, etc., IF LEGALLY ACCESSED BY A PUBLIC ROUTE (i.e. not through private lands entered in the HMA only) can be utilized regardless of the HMA designation. The public lands are not technically part of the HMA. The program only applies to PRIVATE lands which are enrolled in the program. Now, if the BLM tracts are land-locked by the private enrolled in the program, you would be limited by the rules on the private land surrounding them. BLM land should technically not be included on a map within walk-in or HMA areas, but in many cases it is included for convenience when they are putting together the maps.

Also, state school sections, in limited, site-specific situations CAN have public access denied. The closure must be approved by the state land board, and it will be prominantly signed if closed. It usually appears when the public has trashed an area with off-road use, shooting up garbage and leaving it, etc. In any case, state lands are not necessary "public" lands in the true sense of the word, and have different, specific rules, i.e. no camping, fires, etc.

Something I learned from a blm guy a while ago, he told me that someone can only block access to blm land legally if they do it and less than two people put in a written complaint in the first year of them blocking it. That goes for road access. I do not know if that is still how it is or not but interesting.

Something I learned from a blm guy a while ago, he told me that someone can only block access to blm land legally if they do it and less than two people put in a written complaint in the first year of them blocking it. That goes for road access. I do not know if that is still how it is or not but interesting.

I can tell you for sure that is not the way it is in MT. If the BLM land (or any public land) is surrounded by private land and there is no public easement, the access is at the discretion of the landowner (except access by air or river). However, no landowner in MT can block an easement to public land and just hope nobody notices for a year.